Voters Go To The Polls In Three By-Elections In England

[naomi24]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66250591

Anyone placing any bets?

[ichkeria]

The LibDems finished behind Laurence Freak in Uxbridge Gromit where the Ulez thing probably rescued the Conservatives from a wipeout.
Otherwise it was a night of by election mares for the governing party.
It was indeed a record win for Labour in Selby

[theshedman]

What life experience will the new Labour MP for Selby bring to the house. Bit to young for me. Only experience he seems to have is studying politics at university then working for a Labour MP.

[douglas9401]

He also sat as a model for medical students drawing images of the foetus.

[ichkeria]

“Life experience” (he has a quarter of a century of it) or not, the last time Labour had a swing like that was 1992-7.
And we all know what happened at the end of that

[douglas9401]

Unfortunately there's no dream team in charge to keep the rabble in check these days.

[theshedman]

He has a quarter of a century of experience but the majority of that has been in a school of some sort.

[Hymie]

What the fools voting for the Tories in Uxbridge (because of the introduction of ULEZ), where probably unaware of was that following the disastrous effects of the covid pandemic on the finances of Transport for London – a condition of the bail-out from central government was that the ULEZ scheme was rolled out across the whole of London.

And therefore the extension of the ULEZ scheme can be fairly laid at the feet of the Tory central government.

[Peter Pedant]

oh come on come on
Pitt was prime minister at 24

( My hx master told us, it was the first and only office he held, BUT he was Chancellor for three months the year previously)

[New Judge]

//And therefore the extension of the ULEZ scheme can be fairly laid at the feet of the Tory central government.//

Do you have any evidence for that?

Among the conditions for the £1bn TfL bailout were that the Mayor must find new revenue streams to help stabilise TfL’s finances. But as far as I know (and I do take a keen interest in London’s transport affairs) there was no specific instruction to expand ULEZ. It has always been well known - long before the pandemic - that Mayor Khan was keen on the idea and it is no secret that his long term plan is to introduce payment per mile (or per minute) for driving in London (which extends well into the surrounding countryside and farmland). Quite simply, he is against private motoring in the Capital.

Don’t you think, especially as the ULEZ issue looks likely to be a major factor in determining how the people of London vote in the next Mayoral election (in which Mayor Khan intends to stand) that if your contention was correct, he would have made it known and produced evidence for it by now? He would know that the last Labour Mayor (Ken Livingstone) was deposed mainly by the votes of those in Outer London (which ULEZ mainly affects).

Of course no bailout at all would have been required had the ridiculous Covid restrictions not been enacted which largely crippled London’s economy and continue to do so (and which were supported by all parties, and which were suggested as being too lenient by Labour). But that’s another argument. Meanwhile, have you any evidence (other than some bloke on YouTube) to support your claim?

[carolegif]

The entire turnout in Selby was about the same as the Tory majority at the last election. Methinks that the Tories stayed at home to send a message to the government.
Frome had only been Tory since 2015, I think, so they have to take more notice of us in the south west as we have largely been forgotten! Uxbridge was a result of a Labour mayor’s policies, and the thought of living under Labour as they didn’t know what they stood for.
The most downcast politician this morning was Angela Rayner.
This does not bode well for Keir Starmer.
Rishi Sunak must now sort things out within the party and Jeremy Hunt would be my first choice to go. He has the air of the Child Catcher (Chitty Chitty etc) about him and relishes dishing out bad news for the populace with a self satisfied smirk on his face!

[ichkeria]

“The entire turnout in Selby was about the same as the Tory majority at the last election”

Turnout: 35886
Tory majority last time: 20137
Although I’m not sure what that statement is supposed to be arguing.
You might better argue that Labour’s vote this time was scarcely more than the combined Labour LibDem vote last tine and that very few of the people who voted Tory last time switched. That though would assume that they more or less all stayed at home, the implication being they’ll all trot out at the election and vote Tory again.
That’s probably taking complacency to new levels. Never mind desperate spin.